Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason there were 80 fewer social workers at the end of September 2012 in comparison to the end of 2011; the prospects there are for meeting the end 2012 target; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52370/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Figures supplied by the HSE indicate that the number of whole-time- equivalent (WTE) social workers employed in the Children and Families Service area of the HSE was 1,300 at the end of July 2012, compared to 1220 at the end of December 2011. The July 2012 figure has since been adjusted upwards arising from work which is ongoing on the disaggregation of the Children and Families resource base from the HSE in preparation for the establishment of the new Agency. The increase has arisen as a consequence of some remapping and classification of social work posts into distinct care groups. It is anticipated that the number of social workers assigned to the Child and Family Support Agency will be subject to some further change as the remapping process is refined between now and the establishment of the Agency.

The HSE has made considerable progress over recent years in recruiting additional social workers, with 260 social workers recruited under the Ryan Implementation Plan at end 2011 as had been committed to. A further 10 social worker posts which were to be recruited after 2011 are currently at various stages of recruitment, with the first four already in position. The National Director of Children and Family Services, Gordon Jeyes, will continue to apply his discretion to the filling of social work vacancies, taking account of identified need and subject to services being delivered within available resources.